Chicken Tortilla Soup

 Can I tell you a secret?

I've had chicken tortilla soup on my mind for months. Months!

So I finally made it! And you know what, I got so excited that I didn't wait for it to cool down and I burnt the roof of my mouth. But it was worth it cause this soup is Just. That. Good.

I'm switching gears a little from Gilmore Girls to go to my next cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier. 

I've had this cookbook for a loooong time. I mean, since middle school or high school long time. But now that I'm on my own I'm finally taking a crack at it!

This soup recipe is no joke, it made a LOT of soup! I'm definitely going to be eating soup for at least a week. I feel like the next cookbook I get needs to be about cooking for 1.

Anyway, this was a pretty easy recipe as recipes go. You have to cook the chicken first and then shred it. My issue with this was that the chicken breasts I was using were so big that I didn't give them enough time in the oven to cook all the way through. So I ended up taking the half-cooked chicken and cutting it into strips and throwing those into the pot with the sautéing vegetables. By the time I got everything else in there, the chicken was fully cooked and even if it weren't by then, it most definitely was by the time this soup was done boiling.

Also with the chicken, I used all of the seasonings to coat the outside of the chicken. The recipe says only use a teaspoon for the chicken and putu the rest in the vegetables but I just sprinkled some more seasonings into the vegetables. I think either method would work.

So you've got your veggies sautéing, chicken shredded and added to the pot. Then you add in the tomatoes and chiles, chicken broth, tomato paste, and water. Bring that to a boil, then reduce heat and add in drained black beans and cornstarch mixed with water. Then you can boil that for 10-15 minutes, check for seasoning (I needed to add some more salt), and throw in the tortilla strips. Then you're done! Don't be like me... make sure you wait a few minutes before digging in or your mouth will be burnt! Then you can top with anything you like! I added some more red onion and cheese.

Overall, I really like this soup! I think it would freeze well too so if I am still eating soup in a few days that's probably what I'll do.

Recipe (from The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier):

Makes 8 servings

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/4 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup diced onion (I used a whole onion)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup diced green bell pepper

1/4 cup diced red bell pepper (I used a whole red pepper and no green pepper)

One 10-ox can diced tomatoes and green chiles

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used 4 cups of water and 2 bouillon cubes)

3 tbsp tomato paste

4 cups hot water

Two 15-oz cans black beans, drained

3 tbsp cornmeal

5 small corn tortillas

For garnish: diced avocado, diced red onion, sour cream, chopped cilantro, Mexican cheese blend

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Mix together cumin, 1 tsp of chili powder, garlic powder, and salt.

3. Coat chicken breasts in seasoning mixture (1 tsp or all of it).

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through.

5. Shred chicken with 2 forks, set aside.

6. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Throw in onion, garlic, and pepper(s). Sprinkle with remaining tsp of seasoning mixture or sprinkle in a few shakes of each. Add 1/4 tsp of chili powder for heat.

7. Cook vegetables, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes until they turn golden brown.

8. Add in shredded chicken, tomatoes (juice and all), chicken broth, tomato paste, and 4 cups hot water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

9. Add in drained black beans.

10. Mix together cornmeal with 1/2 cup of water and add to the pot.

11. Simmer soup for 10-15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed.

12. Cut tortillas into uniform 2-3 inch strips and add to soup. Stir to combine.

13. Garnish and enjoy!